Laying Down the Law
by Nova802
Summary: Rachel is seeing someone new, but will Puck and Finn try to spoil things? Yeah. That's a safe bet. Puckleberry Finn. So there's more...who knew?
1. The Tall One and the One With the Hair

**A/N: I had such a difficult time categorizing this one! In my mind, this is a story about Puck and Finn, even if they aren't referred to by name! Also, I don't own Glee. but IMO Rachel deserves to have these boys chasing her for a change!**

*****

Jonathan first notices them in the bookstore before the movie.

He and Rachel are browsing in the music section, she's got the _Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Musical Stage_ out and he's reading over her shoulder. One of the things he really enjoys about her is their shared interests. He thinks that it may be a little shallow of him, but he really couldn't be with someone who isn't musical. This point of view sometimes makes things awkward given how many of his Vocal Adrenaline team members he's dated. Oh well. Sometimes show choir is just like that.

Of course, going out with someone from a rival squad may also be challenging, especially at they get closer to Regionals. Vocal Adrenaline has owned Regionals for years and he can't help wondering if Rachel will be up for the victory party. They've already put a deposit down on the Terrace Room at the Westin. He can tell that performing is important to her, but Rachel doesn't seem like the kind of girl who holds a grudge. At least he hopes not, because he's starting to really like her. She's gorgeous, she's obviously intelligent and her smile is amazing. Possibly, she's a little intense, but unquestionably Rachel is the most talented singer he's ever been with. Sometimes he thinks she may almost be as good as he is. He actually woke up this morning thinking about duets; their voices would sound_ amazing_ together.

She's still immersed in her book when he hears a few muttered words in the next stack over, possible ending in "Rachel." Curious, he takes a step or two to the end-cap and sees two guys, about his age, just around the corner in the cooking section. He frowns because there's something so familiar about them, but he can't quite put his finger on it. Hmmm. They aren't from Carmel and he doesn't recognize them from the gym or from his volunteer work. Jon studies the tall one: brown hair, handsome in a boyish way. He must be a little distracted or possibly confused because he's holding _Cooking the Italian Way_ upside down. Next to him, staring at the shelves is another guy, shorter, more muscular with a _distinctive_ haircut. (It's important for future stars to be diplomatic.) He briefly catches the eye of the taller one and the boy flushes and turns away, grabbing the arm of the arm of the other one and retreating to the self-help aisle.

Sweet. Must be a first date. Still, he knows he's seen them someplace before. Maybe his fan club?

He sees them again at the movies. As he's buying himself and Rachel each a small popcorn and soda, the tall one buys popcorn and Milk Duds and Junior Mints and Reeces Pieces and Twizzlers and two giant sized slushies. On their way back into the theatre, Jon gives him a small wave (he's supportive)--and the guy walks into a cardboard cut-out of Brad Pitt. The slushies go flying one way, the candy another. He would stay to help clean up but the previews are starting and he doesn't want to keep Rachel waiting. As he heads back to his seat, he thinks she looks slightly annoyed for a moment, but as soon as she sees him, she's all smiles. The one with the hair is sitting seven rows up from them and is scowling. Poor guy. He probably thinks the tall one is ditching him.

He and Rachel hold hands during the movie, which is enjoyable. Less enjoyable is the person in the back with the bad cold. He can tell it irritates Rachel too, because she keeps squeezing his hand harder and harder. All the coughing is seriously distracting and he can't help thinking about the dangers of H1N1 or other contagions an enclosed space. Just in case he pulls a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer out of his jacket pocket. He does have a performance next week.

As they walk out they talk about the movie, Tim Burton's _Alice in Wonderland,_ and they both agree that it would have been better with more singing, which leads them directly to_ Sweeney Todd. _And then they're so busy debating the merits of the film version of the music versus the Broadway version--he has both on his Ipod--that the conversation lasts the entire drive home. It gets a little heated actually. She can be firm in pressing her point.

As they pull up to the curb in front of her house she smiles up at him. He opens the passenger door and walks her to her doorstep. He's about to lean in for a kiss--which he thinks is just about right for a second date when a car alarm down the street goes off. Then another one. Which seems odd, because Rachel's neighborhood is a nice one, but the mood is apparently broken. Rachel reaches up to kiss his cheek--why are those dogs barking?--tells him again what a nice night she had and slips inside.

On his way home, he remembers where he's seen those two, the tall one and the one with the hair, before. Right! New Directions! He'd seen their Sectionals performance, of course. His musical director has all the Invitational and Sectional performances in the state taped, so they can study the competition. He had been so blown away by Rachel's performance that he hadn't paid much attention to the supporting ensemble, but now that he thinks about it, the tall one is the male lead (a little flat in parts and his rhythm needs work). And the one with the hair is just a background singer, but moves fluidly enough.

He'll have to remember to tell Rachel that he saw the two of them tomorrow. Maybe she'll want to double-date.

*****

**A/N: So I'm thinking two more shortish chapters?**


	2. Coffee and Cosmos

**A/N: Thank you SO much for your reviews and alerts!**

*****

"Rachel? Are you all right?" Jonathan leans forward solicitously, handing Rachel a napkin as she chokes a bit on her tea.

"Sorry. I'm fine. My drink is just a little hot." She brings one hand up to her throat. "Would you mind repeating that?"

"I was just saying that maybe your friends--what did you say their names were? Puck and Finn?--would like have dinner with us one night. I know a great Italian place."

Doing something with her friends is an outstanding idea, he thinks, because as hard as it is to believe, he hasn't been making as much progress with Rachel as he would like. Both of their schedules are packed of course, but she'd also been strangely hesitant to arrange their third date. He's suggested a school basketball game and a bowling date and she couldn't make either. He was almost beginning to wonder if she was interested when she called him and asked him to meet her at the local coffee place 4:00 p.m. sharp. She'd muttered something about practice being scheduled then and when he'd asked how she could meet at four if she had practice, she'd just laughed nervously.

He has that effect on women sometimes.

He looks at her curiously as she makes a little sound between a cough and a snort. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Dinner? With Puck and Finn?"

He smiles at her. "I'd just like to spend more time with you. Getting to know your friends is a good way to do that. Besides, they're a cute couple."

There's an expression in her eyes that he can't read--almost annoyed but with a more than a hint of amusement. "Well, I can ask them the next time I see them."

"What about now?" he asks easily.

"Now?"

"They're right there." He gestures to a table at the other end of the coffee shop behind Rachel.

She swings around and the tall one (Finn, Finn: he's _got_ to try to remember their names) waves at her. The one with the hair, (Puck? Is that really a name?) punches Finn on the arm and leans back, tilting the chair onto two legs.

"Excuse me for a moment," she says sweetly. She walks over to the two boys and starts having an animated discussion with the two of them. Judging by her arm movements and by the way she's keeping time with her foot, she must be going over some kind of dance routine. God, her take on the performing arts is..._hot_. Maybe she'll show it to him later.

Just then his phone sounds. Damn, his director is calling a last minute rehearsal. From the tone of the message it's going to be a late night. He's texting his ETA--there's no other response possible--when a huge crash makes him jump. Rachel is walking back towards him with a martial gleam in her eye. Is she mad because he's texting during their date? And then behind her, he sees her friend Puck sprawled out on the floor, the chair upturned beside him, looking pissed. Ouch, it sucks to be clumsy. He must be really embarrassed.

As Rachel pulls up to him, he smiles apologetically and says, "Rachel, I hate to do this, but I need to cut our date short. Vocal Adrenaline is meeting..." He pushes aside the uncomfortable feeling that he shouldn't talk to her about VA business. "...and as Captain, I need to set an example."

She looks at him approvingly. "I understand completely, Jonathan and may I say that you show a refreshing sense of professionalism. Of course, I would expect nothing less." She takes his arm and they walk out together. Jon nods at Puck and Finn as they leave. Hopefully, they can do dinner soon.

*****

Scheduling a fourth date is much easier. They're talking on the phone and he mentions how much he'd like to sing with her. She invites him over to her house on Friday night and they spend an enjoyable hour on the phone talking about duets.

He arrives precisely on time Friday night and she seats him in the den while she finishes something up in the kitchen. He offers to come with her and mentions something about saying hello to her fathers, but Rachel informs him that it's date night in the Berry household and they won't be back until late. Make yourself comfortable, she tells him.

So he checks out the various trophies and photographs from various area talent events (really, it's surprising that they haven't meet long before now). She returns with a tray carrying a pitcher of some kind of pink beverage and two glasses. Placing the tray on the coffee table, she sits on the couch, patting the spot beside her. "Virgin Cosmos," she says breathily, pouring him a glass.

He sits beside her and it all falls into place. "Oh. _Oh_!" he says enthusiastically.

The door bell rings once. Then twice. Rachel stalks off to the door and hearing her raised voice, he joins her in the front hall.

"I most certainly did not order eight large pizzas!"

The delivery man looks indifferently at the slip. "Is this 24 Mapleview?"

"Yes, but..." Rachel bites her lip. "One moment please." She pulls out her phone and stabs a few button and starts shrieking into the phone. "You! This is your doing! You and your partner in crime!...What do you mean you're right around the corner?...You're darned right, you're paying for them, buster! Fine, but I don't want eight pizzas!...I don't want any pizzas!"

Jonathan hears an engine being cut and looks to see Puck and Finn striding up Rachel's walkway. Puck pulls the delivery man aside and pays him, while Finn smiles sheepishly at Rachel and says "Hi Rach. You look really nice," as he brushes past them.

It takes a moment for Jon to collect himself. He had wanted to have dinner with her friends, but their timing is terrible. However, a lead is always gracious, so as Puck joins them in the house, he asks Rachel to introduce him formally.

"Jonathan, this is Puck and Finn. Now that they have their pizzas, they were just leaving," Rachel says shortly.

"No can do, Berry. Something came up," Puck grins.

"Rachel! Thanks for agreeing to let us meet here." Jon watches Rachel's mouth drop open as two adults arrive at the still open door. "This just can't wait until Monday."

"My Glee coach, Will Schuester and our faculty advisor, Emma Pillsbury," she says to him in an aside.

"Hey Rach! Is there any beer here? 'Cause Puckerman said..." Two more newcomers appear in the doorway and catching sight of the adults trail into silence.

"Mike and Matt, also from Glee...and additionally Quinn, Brittany and Santana," Rachel says weakly as the students continue to pile into the house. She sticks her head out of the door. "And that's Tina, Artie, Mercedes and Kurt getting out of the van."

"Hi guys," Will Schuester says with a worried frown. "We have got a major situation on our hands. Sue Sylvester has simply gone too far. She's out to destroy us and we need to work together to come up with a plan!"

A confused babble of voices breaks out and then Rachel's voice rings out. "Mr. Schuester, I'd like to introduce Jonathan, my...friend. _Jonathan_ is the male lead for Vocal Adrenaline."

Jonathan smiles and waves to everyone. They stare back a little blankly. Frankly, as a team, he thinks they could use a little more pep. Rachel turns to him and says, "Jonathan, I'm so sorry, but..."

He takes her hand. "I understand." He thinks about trying for a kiss, but they're all still _staring_ at the two of them in silence. "I'll call you tomorrow."

She nods warmly, squeezing his hand.

The last thing he hears before she closes the door behind him is someone (he thinks it's Finn) calling out, "Awesome! Virgin Cosmos! Those suckers are tasty!"


	3. The Big Reveal

**A/N: Final chapter! I hope you enjoyed this little piece from Jonathan's perspective. I don't own Glee, but it I did, Rachel would get a few friends and a lot more action in the back nine. A million thanks to all of you wonderful readers and reviewers!**

*****

Jonathan shouldn't complain. He knows that. He's got a supportive family, tremendous potential, scholastic and artistic opportunities abounding, even a talented, gorgeous girl who's ideal for him: Rachel. His life is great. But something--and oddly enough it seems to be centered around Rachel--is not sitting right with him. It's not the misadventures that seem to mark their dates (although tell him it isn't weird that the annoying mime seemed to follow them for the entire tulip festival? And since when do Italian restaurants have Mariachi bands?). And hey, it's even kind of flattering that Rachel seems so determined (really,_ really_ determined) to have one perfect date with him.

What it comes down to is this. Music and performing is his life. He's been Vocal Adrenaline's lead for three years and a captain for two. He's been accepted, early admission, to NYU's performing arts program. He knows the elements that go into a creating a great performance and on paper, he and Rachel have them all. So why can't he seem to shake the crazy impression that he doesn't have a full set of notes for this duet? Or worse, maybe he's not even singing lead?

He's been thinking about this a lot, and somehow it doesn't come as a total shock to him when Puck and Finn approach him as he's leaning against his car in the McKinley parking lot waiting for Rachel. One thing he knows for sure, they aren't about to leave on another date. According to Rachel: not a couple, although she's tight lipped about why the two of them are showing up on _all_ his dates. Or her dates, as the case may be. So actually, he's pretty happy when they just cut to the chase.

Finn starts off, looking a little awkward and uncomfortable, although Jonathan suspects that at least part of that is meant to disarm. "Hey man, we'd uh...like to talk to you...about Rachel."

"What about?" Jonathan asks cautiously.

Puck is a little more aggressive. "Look, you're a convert to the church of the really short skirts. We get it. Believe me, we get it."

"What puts the two of you in a position to get it?"

They glance at one another meaningfully for a minute. See, it's stuff like this that makes people wonder, Jonathan thinks. Finally Finn speaks. "He's her ex-boyfriend. I'm going to be her boyfriend." Puck mumbles something under his breath like, "_not if I can help it_," and Finn glares at him.

"Anyway," Puck picks up, "Since Berry's probably about to flip her fucking lid, I'll just admit we've done our best to make this whole thing a no-go," he smirks, "with some success."

"The mime, the meeting, the pizzas," Jonathan says flatly, then counting back, "probably the car alarms, certainly the movie theatre crap. And you're confessing this now, why?"

"Don't forget the Mariachi band," says Finn. He looks momentarily worried, "San's going to own my butt for arranging that one. Anyway, we've totally been busted," he continues more cheerfully. He turns to Puck. "I told you this was whole 'stalking Rachel and ruining her dates' thing was a bad idea."

"Oh please, Hudson. Like you had a better one. Besides, you gotta admit that it was pretty fucking funny."

"Look, all I'm saying is that now Rachel is really pissed with us. I mean did you see her at lunch?"

Puck snorts. "Did I see her? Are you talking about how she tore us new ones in front of the entire team? Or when she performed the Heimlich maneuver on Chang when he started choking on his corn-dog from laughing so hard? Served the asshole right by the way. I know, you must mean when she twisted Ben Israel's arm back up to his C4 vertebrae? Stupid Jujitsu shit."

"Actually, I think it was Tae Kwon Do. Rachel's been taking lessons since she was six. She told me it helps with her stage presence."

"Whatever. What I want to know is how she knew Jewfro was the one feeding us information," Puck scowls.

"Uhhhm. I may have kinda told her," Finn says apologetically.

"Hudson!"

"I couldn't help it. She's so pretty and she smells really good and you know how sneaky she is when she wants something."

Puck smiles. "Yeah, that's my girl."

"Shut the hell up, Puckerman! You had your chance with Rachel." Finn gets up in Puck's face a little bit.

"No, you shut up! You had your opportunities with Berry too. Was it my fault that you couldn't seal the deal?"

"You dumbass, as a matter of fact, it was!"

"Yeah...shit, man...you know..." Puck kind of trails off.

Jonathan is pretty sure they've forgotten about him entirely. He takes the opportunity to send a quick text to Rachel. It's becoming increasingly clear that he could write a book about the stuff he doesn't know about Rachel, but he knows she's not going to want to miss this. As for him, he may not be the most self-aware guy in the world, but he thinks it may be a bad sign for his relationship with Rachel that the idiocy of these two is leaning more towards humorous than infuriating. Plus, there is that little part of him that _knows_ he's going to channel this in some role at some point in his career. He figures it's time for him to throw a line in. He waves a hand at the two. "Hey. I'm still here. So again, why the big reveal?"

Their heads both swing back towards him, frowning and Finn lets out an annoyed breath. "That's just it. You're still here. And after what Rachel said at lunch today, it doesn't look like you'll be going anywhere soon."

Puck breaks in: "So we thought we'd lay out some ground rules..." He looks surprised as Finn pulls a crumpled sheet of lined paper out of his pocket. "Dude, a list?" he groans.

"Yeah. Rachel got me going on them. She said it would help me prioritize and shit. Okay, number one: don't even think about getting handsy."

Puck laughs. "Shouldn't you be warning _him_ about _Berry_?"

Finn narrows his eyes. "Number two," he says with emphasis, "Rachel is a talented girl, with a bright future ahead of her, so..."

"Fuck, Hudson," Puck says in pained voice. "Who are you? One of her daddies? There's only one thing he needs to know about dating Berry."

"_Really,_ Noah Puckerman. How fascinating. What would that be?" Rachel's voice could cut glass. All three boys whirl around to face her and Puck and Finn both wince visibly. Looking at her, even Jonathan shifts uncomfortably. Rachel moves her gaze without waiting for a response. "And _you_, Finn Hudson. I think two fathers are perfectly adequate to meet my needs. I _certainly_ don't require you to take on that role."

"Actually, Rach, that would be kind of creepy, because I still really want to...," At Rachel's raised hand, Finn trails off.

She says (with exactly the right note of slight weariness Jonathan thinks admiringly), "Finn, thank you for your concern, but please go home. I'll see you Monday at Glee rehearsal."

Finn smiles and shrugs. "See you then," he calls softly over his shoulder, retreating further into the parking lot.

Rachel turns to Puck. "Goodbye Noah," she says tightly.

Puck looks back indifferently. "Keep your panties on, Berry. You can jump him as soon as I've said what I came to say." He turns to Jonathan and smiles unpleasantly. "One rule for dating Berry, dickhead. Don't hurt her. Screw up and my boy Finn will give you a stern talking to and then look so disappointed you'll want to off yourself. But me? I'm a simpler guy. I'll just find you and beat the fucking crap out of you." He nods to Rachel and walks off.

Jonathan watches Rachel stare open-mouthed at Puck's retreating back for a beat or two longer than is comfortable for him to see. When he clears his throat, she pulls her eyes back to him and places her hand on his arm. Her face is bright red. "Oh Jonathan," she moans a little, "I'm so sorry!"

He doesn't bother saying _'sorry for what?_'. He's finally reading the subtext. It's not really about their dates: the circumstances and interruptions. And it's not about Puck and Finn, or at least not about them confronting him in the parking lot. It's about the two of them, Rachel and Jonathan, not working out and he's bizarrely relieved to find that he is kind of angry about it because at least that means it wasn't all make-believe. He considers two or three responses and chooses the least cutting, because he really is that guy, the nice one. "You've kind of got your hands full there, Rachel. I guess I'll see you at Regionals." And then because he's also the male lead, the future star and a part of him just can't believe it, he adds, "You do know they're both idiots, right?"

She chokes out a half-laugh and throws her arms around him for a second and he knows what she's going to say before she says it. "Yeah yeah," he sighs, saying a final goodbye both to _her_ and the idea of _them_, "but they're your idiots."

*****

_**END**_


	4. One More Time with Feeling

**A/N: So now I'm kind of embarrassed because this is the second fic in a week that I'm updating even though I thought it was done, done, done. But I couldn't help myself.**

**This was totally inspired by Reel Big Fish's song 'I want your girlfriend to be my girlfriend' which I haven't heard in YEARS, but then did and knew that it just belonged in this story. Please. Go listen to it because I played it about a thousand times while writing this. Also thanks to NerdyArtsyUnderdog for some excellent plot points. Oooooh and there's a little shout-out to that classic Puckleberry Finn story 'Bizarre Love Triangle' tucked in there as well! **

**Hope you enjoy!**

*****

_Is 'shock and awe' an appropriate description for our impact on Regionals_, Jonathan wonders idly? He's not into false modesty (unless he's talking to the press where it's practically a requirement), so when he's standing in the mezzanine balcony watching the lobby of the performing arts center where the performances will be held, he knows that he's a king just waiting for coronation. Vocal Adrenaline has had this locked up for months. (Don't hate him because he's talented.)

He's actually feeling a little nostalgic, hearing the excited chatter of the other teams walking in, lining up at the registration tables. Their director pre-registered them weeks ago; it helps to know people. He feels an odd little tug as he sees Rachel walking in and striding purposefully to the appropriate line, clipboard in hand with her coach trailing behind her. And sure enough, not 20 paces back, the tall one and the one with the hair are following after her like Tweedledum and Tweedledumber. (He's not really carrying a grudge, it was hard enough to hold on to their names when he was trying to make time with Rachel.) He wonders which one she's chosen, not that it matters all that much to him, not now that he's got Vanessa. Vanessa has blond hair, a nice little voice and most importantly, no inappropriately muscled ex-boyfriends or freakishly tall future boyfriends. He checked.

From above Jonathan watches as Rachel rounds up her team and starts handing out slips of paper (room assignments? practice notes?). Jonathan's only met her coach once, but it looks like Rachel is the one running things. Actually, not much of a surprise there.

He hasn't seen or spoken to her since they had broken up (which in the intervening weeks had morphed pretty firmly into _'completely my idea'_). But now? This has the potential to be awkward and Jonathan briefly considers just avoiding her. However, Regionals is three days long and show choir is a surprisingly small world. Things get around. Meeting on a friendly basis would be mutually advantageous--and if Vanessa just happened to stop by, he'd be happy to introduce Rachel to his beautiful new girlfriend. They'd probably have lots in common.

He'll text her, he thinks, pulling out his phone. It would probably be best to meet someplace before the competition starts. Definitely not any place too isolated. Jonathan's not sure if breaking up with Rachel in the school parking lot counts as 'hurting her' in the eyes of the one with the hair, but since he didn't get a thank you note, he's not taking any chances.

*****

Three hours later, having arranged what he hopes will be a entente cordial, he's back in the lobby. He sees Rachel from across the room and admires her presence as she walks over to him; she may be tiny, but people get out of her way. She smiles up at him and he gracefully leans down and kisses her cheek. It's second nature at this point to scan the room while doing so. Possibly he's started to develop a sixth sense about these things. Or it could just be paranoia--Vanessa had been a little put out when he refused to take her to her favorite French restaurant, but apparently, now in his head France equals mimes and that's seriously disturbing. (_Note to self: get over that before the inevitable revival of Les Mis_.)

But whether it's paranoia or precognition, he's totally called it. Over Rachel's shoulder, he can see the two of them staring at him meaningfully and they're getting closer. For a second he panics, before remembering with a sudden rush of gratitude, that this is no longer his problem. He wonders if Rachel's new boyfriend (wherever he is) has any idea of what's in store for him.

Rachel has definitely spotted them by this point--she looks, well still beautiful, but also completely furious and Jonathan has to applaud quick thinking on the part of the one with the hair: he pushes the tall one forward.

"Hey, Rach. You look great by the way. Which I guess I knew, because we just spent five hours on a bus together. We, uhm...well we know how much you love music. And singing. Because you know, of Glee club and Broadway and stuff like that..."

He rambles on for a while, and Jonathan doesn't really pay attention, because things are starting to happen. He spots a trumpet player behind a potted plant and is that a saxophone and a trombone coming out of the elevator? Oh yeah. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that those two idiots are behind this. Although, to be honest their antics are a lot more funny now that the two of them have their hooks into some other poor asshole. Music is actually a pretty good idea though. He's tried (no, scratch that, he's succeeded) in wooing women with song. Mostly jazz standards--_Bewitched_ had always been a winner for him. So he looks around with interest, waiting to see what they'll go with, looking through the crowd, trying to figure out who the 'lucky' guy is.

"...totally amazing someday and I can't stop thinking about you, and your kneesocks, but mostly you..."

He's still rambling, but the one with the hair says witheringly, "Shut up, Hudson. Look Berry, we're singing you and loverboy a song and then maybe you can make a fucking choice and put us all out of our misery." He's muttering to himself and Jonathan thinks he hears something like _'fucking Hudson and his pansy-ass ideas..._'

Rachel's beginning to look around a little wildly and from the right the guy from Rachel's Glee Club with the wheel chair is rolling out with a guitar on his lap. He smiles apologetically at Rachel and plays a few catchy opening chords. Then the brass instruments power in and Jonathan is now sure that this isn't going to be anything that Tony Bennett will be singing any time soon.

Then Puck and Finn (yeah, whatever, now that they're right here in front of him, he supposes he remembers their names) start in unison with the vocals and for a minute he's really shocked.

_**There's a little girl I know  
You might know her too  
She looks so good  
She looks so cute  
Standin' next to you**_

They're really pretty good. He knows without a doubt that his vocals are smoother, his delivery more powerful, but there's something about this, some kind of emotional verity that he hasn't been close to in a while. He'd spend more time thinking about it, but something else smacks him in the face. He may be a tiny bit self-obsessed, but there isn't any doubt. They're not just singing to Rachel--they're singing to him too.

**And I don't know what to do  
I want your girlfriend to be my  
I want your girlfriend to be my girlfriend**

What. The. Hell. He had been clear that night in the parking lot, right? And granted, he's must be tough to let go of, but this is a little more extreme than he feels comfortable with.

_**She's so fuckin' cute  
I wish that she was mine  
She's so fuckin' cute  
I'm gonna lose my mind**_

And everyone is staring. Not in the good 'oh my god Jonathan your voice is _amazing_!' way that he likes, but in the 'horrible traffic accident can't look away' way. Rachel's eyes are moving between the three of them with a slightly sick expression. Hold on. She hasn't told them? Is she using him for cover? God, with her talent, ambition and deviousness, she's a natural for Broadway.

_**I don't know what to do  
I don't know what to do  
maybe I could kill you**_

Now that shit is freaky because Puck would do it. No question.

_**I want your girlfriend to be my girlfriend  
Cause she's so cute I don't know what to do  
Maybe she could love me too  
I want your girlfriend to be my girlfriend**_

Puck and Finn draw out the last note as the instrumentals die away and the musicians melt into the crowd. The one in the wheelchair actually runs over a few toes in his hurry to get away. _They must know Rachel_, Jonathan thinks. Puck and Finn are both looking at her (Finn does throw him an sheepish glance, first). Finn's smiling sweetly and Puck is half-glaring at her, but the corners of his lips are curling up in what Jonathan considers to be a singularly besotted way.

Rachel turns to him and her cheeks are pink. "Jonathan, I can't tell you how sorry I am that you've been dragged into this again. I can assure you that it won't happen again." She spins to Finn and Puck and Jonathan can breathe again, because she's going to clear things up _before_ Puckerman actually does try to kill him. The relief is short-lived because she does it at a volume best suited for reaching the back of the theatre. He'd forgotten how loud she could be.

"You idiots! If _only_ you paid half as much attention to me as you do to your ridiculous posturing in the hallways! Noah, I've told you before, your arms are lovely but please stop flexing in front of me and Finn, soft serve ice cream is not an appropriate present to leave in my locker. Honestly! If you boys weren't completely caught up in your little games you might have realized that Jonathan and I broke up weeks ago."

Jonathan blanches slightly as Puck glares at him and Rachel continues fiercely, "And don't you dare give Jonathan that look, Noah Puckerman, because I can assure you that it was a mutual decision."

Puck has taken a step forward and grabbed her arm just above the elbow and Finn is standing next to her dipping his head down to smile shyly at her. Jonathan rolls his eyes and clears his throat a little impatiently (Again. Not the star. What a world.). "Maybe the three of you should go someplace a little more...private to discuss this," he suggests.

Rachel is looking thoughtful and then determined. "Not right now. I came to win Regionals and you two...that song, hearing the _feeling_, the_ ardor_, you both put into it...well I have to admit it's done something for my emotional range that I think will translate into an truly epic performance. We'll talk after." She smiles meltingly and walks off, leaving the three of them staring after her. _Did she always have that much of a sway to her hips when she walked_, Jonathan wonders?

Puck's mouth closes with a snap. "I'm gonna go practice."

"Me too," says Finn fervently.

And for the first time all year, Jonathan wonders if Sectionals is as much in the bag as he'd thought it was.

*****

_**END (really) (almost certainly)**_


End file.
